boiling hot & freezing cold !

This week we have been exploring  HOT & COLD - the children have tested ice blocks before and after putting in freezer and holding hand warmers. we definitely got cold hands at forest school on Friday when the wind suddenly turned very chilly - thank goodness for hot chocolate !

We made ice cubes out of fruit juice - lemon, orange, limes and squashed blackberries - which we hit with a rolling pin - in a bag !  There were some interesting faces pulled when the children tasted the ice cubes to find out that lemon and lime is sour, I think the blackberry ice cubes were the favourite!

The 2-3 group are getting so good at joining in with the 3 little pigs story 

"Pointy pointy ears ! Sharp teeth ! And curly wurly whiskers !!! "

At forest school the children really enjoyed forest school – climbing the new climbing tree and camouflaging a den - just like an army den.

It was fab when the children visited one of the staff's house to see the drop curb for the drive being put in -when asked what they thought was happening -one child said it was because the hedge had got too big
- when asked what she could put the other side of the new tarmac one child suggested flowers
 - and when asked what she could drive onto her new drive they all said - "your bike " !!!!!!
They really enjoyed having a turn sitting in the mini digger - though one girl said it was "much to dirty" !!

HAPPY NEW YEAR & WELCOME BACK !

 

Welcome to the spring term to all our returning families and new children & families who have just started with playschool.

With the colder weather we are making sure we get lots of time to run around outside while keeping warm by play PE games that involve lots of movement - including running around outside area playing "stop and Go" game, some lovely laughter and turn taking.

At the 2-3 group, we did lots of comparing sizes, big and small. Painting light colours on dark paper, & had a fabulous  music and dance time-  full of fun !

 

Some of the  children did  lovely black and white foot and Hand printing activity one afternoon

Our student led a great activity collecting big and little leaves at forest school :)

SHOP ROLE PLAY  - this has been a real success with lots of lovely role play in the shop.

Children have also been role playing taking register - copying staff and mark making on pads.

 

 "I should have gone to Spec savers"! .... Certainly all the fun the children have had trying the new selection of glasses on.

 

'Cinderella' and 'Spider-Man' got married yesterday - the newly wed bride then turned to her husband and said "we don't have any babies yet, we will just have to be patient won't we".

 

On of the staff,  who is regularly used for life drawing, had another portrait done of her this week, this time in play dough!...different!....that really did make her laugh !

We revisited "what's in the box" game and the children have really enjoyed our new "hot dog" game to introduce the new children to every one this term.

 

Some lovely friendships are being made now.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL !

We had a fabulous last week - the Christmas sing song went very well with lots of parents enjoying the children's rendition of 'Mary's Knitting'.
They had made snowmen biscuits and we served them alongside the mince pies- the slide show of the autumn term was enjoyed by parents, children and staff - it is lovely to see all we have achieved in one term !

The Xmas party was brilliant if a little exhausting ! - Father Xmas made a visit and we played traditional party games

The staff team will now get a well deserved rest !

Happy Xmas everyone - we are back on Monday 6th January 2014

getting ready for Christmas- nearly there !

After last weeks visit by the reception class to us, they returned the favour and we went to visit them and listen to their nativity songs. We had a lovey time - playing a game of hunt the donkey and having a play in class 1.

Finishing of the Xmas cards we also made pomanders and played with the fake snow and Arctic animals.

Making chocolate reindeer's proved very popular and they did turn out brilliantly

AT Forest school we had banana custard using the Kelly kettle followed by a real fire on Friday when we cooked crumpets and ate they =m with jam or butter - around the camp fire !

CHRISTMAS PREPARATIONS

Fake snow and animals from icy climates were in the small world play this week.

Reindeer foot print Christmas cards and Father Xmas hand print cards were made, enveloped and taken to the post office by the Thursday crew- where they bought stamps and then each child posted their card home in the post box. We then ate few chocolate buttons for a treat and walked back in the wild and windy weather!

The reception children came over and we performed our 'Mary's Knitting songs to them - a lot of them remembered the songs from their time at playschool so we had a good rendition together.
Then we played making 'snow' with the parachute & cotton wool balls and it was lovely to watch the joy on their faces. We go back over to them next week.

Our student worked with the children to make some excellent sweets - which they took home to enjoy.

SHADOWS - DARK & LIGHT

We have been exploring shadows this week- our Uni student on placement with us did the planning and we made a light box , had a dark den and torches and looked at nocturnal animals.

 

The children enjoyed sieving weighing and mixing ingredients to make light and dark cup cakes - the were yummy!

 

Later in the week we took the 'underpants' streamers we made based on the book 'Aliens love Panta Claus' to the United Reformed church to decorate our Christmas tree for the late night shopping - the children thought it was hilarious ! -we even made a flying saucer and alien to go on the tree too!

The children from Towerview playschool had snack with the little ones at Broadway Playschool - then walked back through the autumn leaves.

 

There has been some great construction going on with the wooden building blocks - building then taking photos to recreate the next day. It has been really imaginative  play, the children have built car parks, roads, ,skate parks, cities with skyscrapers and tunnels, and a one legged man!

 

DIWALI & BONFIRE NIGHT - FESTIVALS OF LIGHT !

This week we learnt about the Hindu and Sikh festival of Light called Diwali  - the children made tea light holders from clay and painted them in silver and gold.

The firework cake was made using an electric whisk - much loved by alot of the boys  !  - the finished cake was decked with sparklers and we all sat around outside on crates to watch them sparkle - good fun !

The safety talk was taken very seriously - the children took notes home to their parents explain some frightening facts - like 3 sparklers are as hot as a blow torch !

We made a huge firework frieze by splodging teabags and paint onto a sheet of brown paper - we then splattered bright paints and made rockets out of roller paper and paper straws - it looked fab and the children made the firework noises as they worked.